Sheet-metal roller-bearing furniture-caster.



No. 821,750. PATENTED MAY 29, 1906. M. B. SGHENGK. SHEET METAL ROLLER BEARING FURNITURE OASTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.14. 1905.

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PATENT onnion UNITED STATES MARTIN B. SCHENCK, OF MERIDEN, GONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Jratenteol May 29, 1906.

Application filed March 14. 1905. Serial No. 250.014.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN B. SCHENCK, a citizen of the United- States', residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet-Metal Roller-Bearing Furniture-Casters; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the figures of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, iii- Figure 1, a view in side elevation of a caster constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the bearing-plate thereof; Fig. 3, a view thereof in vertical section on an `enlarged scale; Fig. 4, a detached edge view of the bearing-plate; Fig. 5, a detached reverse plan view thereof; Fig. 6, a detached edge view ofthe outer cup Fig. 7, a detached plan view thereof; Fig. 8, a detached reverse plan view thereof; Fig. 9, a detached edge view of the inner cup; Fig. y10, a detached plan view thereof; Fig. 11, a detached view in side elevation of the short pintle in Vits initial or blank form; Fig. 12, a detached view thereof after it has been backset.

My invention relates to an improvement in roller-bearing sheet-metal furniture-casters, the object beingto produce at a low cost for manufacture a superior article, compact, of few parts, and of great strength.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a roller-bearing sheet-metal caster having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention I employ an attaching-plate 2, rectangular in form (as shown, though not necessarily) and having screw-holes 3 at its corners for the reception of the screws by means of which the caster is secured in place and having a central pintlehole 4. vThis plate is struck up to form in the center of its upper face a circular recess 5, concentric with its said pintle-hole 4. This results in the production upon the lower face of the plate of a complementary boss 5a, surrounded by a wide downwardly-opening annular centering-channel 6, in turn surrounded by an annular rib 7, forming the outer wall of the said channel 6, the inner wall of which is formed by the outer edge of the said boss 5a. By striking up the attaching-plate 2 in the form described it is not only stiened and strengthened, but adapted in form, as will hereinafter appear, to be assembled with other parts. cup 8, having a central pintle-hole 9 and struck up to form in its upper face a circular recess 10, concentric with its said pintle-hole I also employ an inverted outer 9 and adapted in diameter to receive the boss ,5a of the bearing-plate 2. The formation of the recess 10 results in the production of a wide annular centering-rib 11, adapted in diameter to fit into the centering-channel 6 of the said attaching-plate 2, whereby the said cup 8 is accurately centered with respect to the said plate 2 and held against edgewise displacement, and particularly by the inner wall of the heavy annular rib 7, the annular space between the side walls of the cups forming a runway 15 for the rollers 16, which are stamped out o1' sheet metal. If desired,

the cup 13 might also be inverted. Its function is merely that of a ring to form the inner wall of the runway 15 and is, in fact, an inner runway piece. The caster also comprises a sheet-metal wheel-frame 17, having a flat bearing-face 18, upon which the flat rollers 16 travel, and also having arms 19, re-

ceiving the aXle 2O of the caster-wheel 21.

The fiat face 18 is formed witha centrallyarranged pintle-hole 22. I have spoken of the hole 22 as a pintle-h0le;7 but inasmuch as it is of larger diameter than the pintle 23 it might also be called a pintleclearance hole, which would also be a proper term to apply to the hole 14 of the inner cup 13. The said parts are united and combined by a short heavy stud-like pintle 23, which is initially formed, Fig. 12, with a large flat circular head 24, adapted in size to fit into the circular recess 5 in the upper face of the attaching-plate 2. y

In assembling the parts of my improved caster the pintle 23 is passed downward through the holes 4 and 9 of the attachingplate 2 and outer cup 8, after which the pintle is backset, so as to form upon it aheavy annular iange 25, which is seated against the boss 12 of the outer cup 8, the annular centering-rib 11 of which is thus drawn into the bottom of the annular centering-channel 6 in the lower face of the attaching-plate 2, wherebythe said plate and cup are thus permanently secured together with the virtual rigidity of one-piece construction. The inner cup 13 is now applied to the pintle, which projects through its hole 14, and the runway 15 produced, into which the roller-bearings IOO IIO

16 are now introduced. The wheel-frame 17 is now applied to the projecting end of the pintle, whichpasses through its hole 22. The projecting end of the pintle is formed, as it may here be explained, by "backsetting it with a shoulder 26 to furnish a bearing for a retaining-washer 27, which is now applied to the projecting end of the pintle. The projecting end of the pintle is then upset upon the said washer to form the rhead 28, which completes the assembling of lthe parts. Thel wheel-frame will swivel upon the pintle, upon which the inner cup may turn'or not, that being immaterial. It will be seen by reference to Fig. l2 that in backsetting the pintle it is tapered in form and made stocky, so to speak, and hence very strong.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention some changes from the construction herein shown and described may be made. I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself thereto, but hold myself at liberty to make such departures therefrom as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

- l. In a sheet-metal roller-bearing furniture-caster, the combinationwith a short studlike pintle formed at its upper end with a head, of an attaching-plate mounted thereupon, a wheel-frame swiveled directly upon the lower end of the said pintle and formed with a iiat bearing-face, an inverted cup rigidly secured to the upper end of the pintle which for that purpose is baclset -to form an annular flange engaging with the central portion of the lower face of the cup, an inner runway-piece arranged concentrically within the cup than which it is smaller in diameter so as to form a continuous runway, and rollers located in the said runway and bearing upon the said bearing-face of the wheel-frame and also within the inverted cup.

2. In a sheet-metal roller-bearing caster, the combination with a short stud-like pintle having a head at its upper end, of an attaching-plate mounted upon the upper end of the said pintle and having an annular channel in its lower face, an inverted cup having an annular rib entering the said channel, whereby the cup is centered and held against lateral displacement, an inner runway-piece located Within the said cup than which it is made smaller in diameter so as to form a continuous runway, a wheel-frame swiveled directly upon the lower end of the pintle and having a bearing-face, and rollers located in the said runway and riding upon the said bearingface and upon the cup, the said'pintle being backset to form an annular flange between which and the head of the pintle the attaching-plate and the 'cup are rigidly held.

3. In a sheet-metal roller-bearing caster, the combination with an attaching-plate having a recess in its upper face and an annularv channel in its lower face, of an inverted cup having a concentric rib upon its upper face' entering the said channel, an inner runwaypiece located within the said cup than which it is made smaller so as to form av runway, a wheel-frame havinga flat bearing-face, rollers located in the'said runway and ridingupon the said bearing-face; a short stud-like pintle passing through the said plate, cup and Wheel-frame and having at its upper end a head located in the recess in the upper face of the said plate and backset to form an annular flange seated against the inner face of the cup, whereby the saidplate and cup are said runway and riding upon the said wheelframe, a short stud-like pintle passing through the said cups and formedv atk its upper end with a headvand backset to form an annular flange and having the said frame swiveled upon it, the outer cup being rigidly secured to the said pintle by means of the said head and iiange and means mounted upon the upper end of the said pintle for securing the caster in place.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. i

Y MARTIN B. SCHENCK.-

Witnesses:

CLARA L. WEEE, GEORGE D. SEYMOUR.v

IOC 

